


That Vow Of Forest Love

by The_Irish_Kiwi



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Character/ship tags to be added as I go, F/F, F/M, Gen, It's modern lmao, M/M, Multi, So many characters get mentioned, and so many more will join
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 01:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17254871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Irish_Kiwi/pseuds/The_Irish_Kiwi
Summary: Gendry is devastated when a car accident plunges his wife Arya into a deep coma. She miraculously recovers - but the last five years of her memories have vanished. Suddenly, Gendry finds himself married to a stranger who can't remember anything about him. Naively, Arya falls back under the influence of her past upper-class life and reconnects with her ex-fiancé. Desperately, Gendry tries to recreate the moments that shaped their romance. Can he rekindle the passion before he loses Arya forever?- Inspired by The Vow -





	1. A Theory

 

Date nights were always Gendry's idea. Well, the ones where they went out and did things. Arya's idea of date night was calling him _stupid_ , with that soft smile of hers that told him she didn't really mean it. 

'We're married, married couples don't have dates,' She'd say, even if she agreed every time, just as Gendry always followed her out the door. 

'Well, we're not like every other married couple, are we?' He'd retort, and though she'd roll her eyes and pretend to be entirely put out, she never made any indication that she did not enjoy these nights out. Even with her rolling her eyes, the smiles, and the wrinkles of her nose whenever she said something about how dumb it was, a telltale sign that she lied to him. They both knew the way her nose twitched when she told a lie, the same as how he would boop her nose whenever she did, or she would rub her nose against his in greeting when she awoke- only ever when they were away.  _Wolf's Boop,_ she had told him, though it reminded him more of a cat's boop. 

She was all roughness and wild beauty, and Gendry _loved_ her. His heart near swelling each time he looked at her, every twitch of her nose, every light-hearted punch never intended to harm upon his arm, and as he stood there, bending his neck at that uncomfortable angle, the way Arya stretched her legs and stood on her tippy toes, the two locked in an embrace of arms and lips as snow fell around them, Gendry couldn't think to be anywhere else in the world. 

"Hot Pie! Look! It's Gendrya!" He doesn't really want to, but Lommy's voice reaches his ears, and he's gently pulling himself from Arya, who untangles herself and pulls her middle finger at Lommy, in all his drunk, flushed red cheeks, glory. 

"That's _StarkWaters_ , to you, Lommy," Arya replied almost sarcastically, the ring on her finger brushing his hands as she entwined her fingers with his. Lommy snorted, as Hot Pie laughed, joining Gendry's proud smile. "You piece of shit," She adds on, sticking her tongue out, as the drunk friends of theirs join them, laughter contagious. 

Tonight had been Arya's idea, 'I'm taking you out tonight!' 'Like a date? Or is that a threat on my life?' He'd asked, ignoring her rolling eyes as they'd rolled around in the bed, her light laughter wasn't the only light touch she had been giving him. 'Both. Neither. We'll see where the night takes us, yeah?' 'Thought you said dates were stupid, now we're married.' 'Everything's stupid with you around. Who said I don't like stupid, sometimes?' The laughter had turned to moans as they'd traded positions again. Gendry had gotten to decide, but because he'd taken too long he'd settled on a movie, and even as Arya had groaned, and complained on the way there, seeing her eyes wide and invested in the story had been so worth it. So had her tears at the ending, even if now she pretended that she had not been crying, the redness in her eyes gave it away. 

"Oh, oh, _StarkWaters,_ " Lommy said, hand over his head. "Cold, so cold, Arry." 

"Look at him. You've hurt his feelings," Hot Pie said, before laughing at his own ridiculousness, shaking his head. 

"No worse than he deserves," Gendry said. 

"Happy Aniversary, Gendrya StarkWaters," Lommy slurred, grin wide as first he and then Hot Pie gave the pair a hug. Gendry heard Hot Pie whisper something into Arya's year, and she gave him a soft look before returning his hug. The two drunks waddled off, singing about Featherbeds, calling back for Gendry not to defile his wife in the workshop again, or Hot Pie would be suing for emotional distress. 

"No driving, either of you," Gendry yelled out to the drunk idiots, who waved them off. If they drove, there'd be an accident, no doubt, and Gendry wasn't prepared to take care of his friends as vegetables. 

Gendry shook his head, even as Arya laughed, "It's a good thing I was the one who did the defiling, huh?" She said before she claimed his lips for her own again. As always, she took the lead, and he followed the way back to the car, and even Arya seemed unwilling to part from him in some way on their anniversary night. Gendry knew Arya was a Northern girl, where he was from more around London, so even as he cleaned the snow from the windshield, and got in the car, Arya grabbed his hands. 

"Gosh, such a baby, feel your hands!" She rubbed them between her own hands, which Gendry couldn't tell if they were extremely hot or just as cold as his before she pulled his hands to her lips and kissed them not once, but three times, before blowing into the centre of them. "There, all good to drive now." Her grey eyes were alight, and Gendry stared at her, all soft eyes, before she pulled her hands free, and buckled herself up. It hadn't been snowing particularly bad when they'd gone in to watch the movie, but now the snow had at least a foot more than it had before, and Gendry... wasn't so used to the snow. The rain, the cold, heat? Yes. Snow? No, not like Arya always seemed to be, her own kind of snowflake that left Gendry awed for years, following her lead as they had danced around each other. He made double sure his seatbelt was on, not in for one of Weasel's outburst on how they got on her back for things but did it themselves. 

Even as Gendry tapped his thumbs to the stupid song playing on the radio as they drove, and Arya laughed at him, sticking her tongue at him before he stopped at a red light. 

"You're such an idiot," 

"Your idiot though," She stares at him for a moment soft look in her eyes that Gendry can't quite place as he looked at her, seeing his entire world, and his words sound almost like her own  _I could be your family,_ that she had uttered so long ago, before he knew what the even meant. He sees that look in her grey eyes, that he's sure is often residing in his won blue, like she's looking at all she wants. 

"You know, I have a theory.. that if you do it in a car, you're more likely to get pregnant." Gendry's brain, short-circuited. 

"What?" He asked softly, as she unbuckled her belt, and Gendry made sure to keep his foot firmly on the break, as she made her way closer to him, cupping his cheeks with both of her hands, and Gendry felt the most love filled smile he'd ever smiled, as they both closed their eyes, his hand coming to slide through her brown hair as they kissed, soft and sweet at first, before becoming more passionate, unable to hear anything that was not them, not caring about anything that was them in that moment, even as strong light blared through the back window, created shadows they did not see. They didn't seem to realise until the jolt that hit the car, the windows smashing, as Arya let out a pained yell, flying through the window and onto the bonnet of the car, as the garbage truck that hit them had tried to stop caused them to crash into the building across the road, but all Gendry saw went black, as he slipped from consciousness. 

 

Yeah, Gendry had a theory too. That everything had to do with moments, and in that moment, Gendry would look back and curse himself for not continuing driving, waiting until they got home.

 

* * *

Suddenly sober friends ran down the hall, after Weasel, who's wild black hair bounced behind her, seeming the most distraught. The Afro-Asian teenager seemed on the verge of tears, diving through people.  _Car Crash. Gendry and Arya. Neither Awake._ Lommy and Hot Pie had tried their best to calm her, but Arya would have been the only one able at this point. She always had been. 

"I can't..." Weasel muttered, before bursting into tears. 

 


	2. Reminiscence

It had been five years earlier that Gendry had met the love of his life. Then, she'd been so scrawny and skinny. She was still skinny, even now, people that did ballet tended to be, but back then she'd been all skin and bones, but even then, Gendry remembered, how he'd been there waiting for Lommy and Hot Pie, when he'd turned, spotting them in a heated discussion with a girl, and Gendry had felt himself swallow, looking her over, hair shorn short, around her ears, and claimed that he would later remember it as the best moment of his life, when that scrawny girl pushed Lommy over onto the ground of the park, and though he'd wanted to laugh, Gendry had forced his way over, taking in Lommy over exaggerating his pain as he rolled on the ground, before Gendry pulled him up. He'd pushed the blond man away, before gesturing for Hot Pie to fuck off too. 

"What have I told you two about annoying people?" He had asked his friends, "I don't spend my time making a racket with clanging metal, and singing bolts for you two to fuck everyone off," He told them, though seeing he was truly angry at them, the two had fucked off to give him space to calm down, before Gendry had turned his attention back to the she-wolf, her grey eyes wide, face long and pretty. She looked clean but sweaty, and her binder had a sticker on it, for the Royal Academy of Dance. 

"I could've handled them!" She spits out before Gendry can even get a word in. 

"Well, I'm sorry, Milady, didn't mean no offence. Just thought I'd put my friends in their place." She'd grated on his nerves instantly, and he could see by the look of her face that she did not quite appreciate his biting comment. 

"Do **_NOT_ **call me, milady!" She'd snarled, and for some reason, Gendry found himself taking a liking to her attitude. That was what she took offence too... 

"Alright, sorry." He muttered, turning to look at friends who seemed apologetic in the distance. "What you do to piss them off?" 

"What did I do?" She'd asked with a huff. "I did nothing wrong. Anybody can call me anything they like, but I won't have them call-" She'd cut herself off then, and take a calming breath, shaking her head. "I don't owe you anything," She'd said, but still, she stood and stayed there, as if waiting for him to do something, her own eyes seeming to rake over him as if weighing him up for a threat. 

He remembered it had been a nice sunny day, that the park was on the waterfront, and Arya had been practising for class in the park when Lommy and Hot Pie had started harassing her. She'd worn a short blue skirt, over black tights and a white shirt, with her feet in delicate ballerina flats. She'd been skinny and scrawny, but Arya had been toned.

"Tell your friends, that when a girl says to fuck off, they should fuck off," Gendry had told them, many times, but Lommy and Hot Pie were rather inept at social interaction, both raised in the foster system where Gendry had met them after his own mum died, and they'd all grown out of it together. Sometimes Lommy just never got over his need to settle himself as the superior, and Hot Pie always had to have someone to follow. 

"Yeah, I've tried," Gendry sighed, rolling his eyes at the wild girl, shaking his head. "Lommy's just got a thing for harassing Ballerinas. His lifelong dream to be the Nut Cracker." He said with a nod towards her binder, causing her to look down at it for a moment before she snorted. 

"Yeah, me too, harassing ballerinas and cracking nuts that is... Friends call me Arry these days." She said after a pause, and Gendry nodded his head at her. 

"Gendry... You look hot, wanna get a drink?" 

"I can't tell if that's you hitting on me, but sure, I'll take you out,"  Arya responded, causing Gendry to raise his eyebrows as if appraising her. 

"Was that a threat on my life?" He blinked several times, but still, the girl looked at him with a deadpan look. 

"I don't know yet, let's see if you're as stupid as your idiot friends." She said, before leading the way, and Gendry could do nothing but blindly follow, not really having expected her to agree, but it had become second nature to ask women out, spending so much time with Lommy, who did it so often he had been rejected more times than the Queen had corgis.

Gendry had watched from behind as she'd walked around like she owned the place, her deep Northern English accent sticking out to him, but he made no comment on it. Lommy and Hot Pie would claim he was smitten from then, but Gendry disagreed. She'd been an annoying brat, that's what he said, but even then he'd been lying. He'd had no problem following after her, even then. 

They'd done more than get a drink of water, they'd gone to the little cafe, and Arya had discovered he'd never had lemon cakes, so that was what she had ordered him. He'd pulled a face, stating they were both sweet and sour and he didn't understand it. 'Thank you!' Arya had crowed, 'Finally, someone agrees with me!' Gendry'd learnt more about her than he had intended in what would officially be seen as their first date. She'd been 19, and while at 24, Gendry was usually more interested in women his own age, Arya had a maturity about her that drew him to her, like he always wanted to be around her, had always meant to. She'd even stolen his stupid hat for herself, and stuck it on her head, staring at him defiantly, as if daring him to take it back. He never did, instead, he laughed at her and shaking his head. 

"You're a strange one Arry," She'd seemed to shrug, like it was a comment among many that she got, if only Gendry had known then the comments she'd gotten, the way she'd thought about herself, perhaps he'd have said something different. 

"Fine, I tried your lemon cake, you can try a bowl of brown," he'd said not long after and she'd been all game until it had arrived and she'd looked like she'd rather throw up. "What's in it?" 

"... Chicken." He'd lied, and Arya stopped, narrowing her eyes at him. 

"Doesn't smell like chicken." 

"Pretend," He said before she'd put it in her mouth, scrunching her face up.

"I don't know if I like it or not," She admitted, still looking suspiciously at him. 

"Me neither," he'd said. 

And while Arya later got a job at the Cafe, Gendry remained a regular, though it took a long time for him to even consider bringing Lommy and Hot Pie, but after a while of knowing her, Gendry started to leave her things she might enjoy - and sure, one time it had been some cough medicine and tissues because she'd been sick, or stood out in the rain just to catch a glimpse of her, trading soft smiles. They grew a friendship in those first two years, with Arya settling into friendship with Lommy and Hot Pie too. Weasel had come along not long after, living just down the road from Gendry, but constantly in fights with her parents before they kicked her out. It had been Arya taking her in, living in her apartment with the girl. 

It had taken two of those five years for them to get their act together, as Hot Pie had said, with Gendry and Arya going on their first real date, and Arya had pointed out when he had farted on the way home, the first time either of them had farted in front of the other, despite his denial, because his mother had taught him years ago, don't fart in front of any girl (or guy) that you're not going to marry. He hadn't been so mortified, it wasn't like he'd pulled his cock out and she'd been unhappy. It was a fart, and it had only gotten awkward because it was the first, and Arya had pointed it out before laughing about it. He'd pulled the windows up still in his lie, and Arya had laughed harder, "Twisted!" 

"Romantic," He'd argued before laughing with her too. God, he'd been so in love with her then that it had just been insane! How did she do it?! Weaselling her way into his heart and unhardening it. Even if they'd just ended up shagging for the next few weeks before they put a label on it, I love you's had been exchanged pretty early on, usually with Arya calling it all stupid.  

It was those parts, that Gendry found himself reminiscing, as he sat in the hospital bed, healing his concussion, and playing with the caste on his broken arm, trying his best to ignore the fact that they'd told him his wife was in a coma, when he wanted nothing more than for her to wake up and crawl into his bed. He had almost forgotten how to sleep with her next to him, used to her kicking, and blanket stealing. 

* * *

"We've told you that your wife has internal brain hemorrhaging," The doctor said, Doctor Maz Duur, with her smooth olive-brown skin seemed to have a way with keeping Gendry calm, walking with Gendry as she held up the ct scans. "We do keep patients with brain damage in a comatose state, to calm their system. It would be too much of a shock for her to wake up right away, and her brain wouldn't heal itself," 

He listened, not really saying anything, feeling as out of whack as he had since the first day he'd gone home without Arya, Weasel having vacated the premises to give him some time to reacquaint himself to his house without anyone in it. He kept his hands in his jean pockets, biting his tongue to keep himself saying something dumb. 

"We'll slowly wake the patient up after the brain's stopped swelling, and started to go down." He almost looks back, for Lommy, and Hot Pie in the ward, Weasel sitting with Arya, and her friend Jaqen and the woman he knew only as Waif hung around nearby. Friends of Arya's that she had met after Gendry, but he never really knew. He tried to breathe after his talk with the doctor, her smooth voice trying to soothe him as he returned to his and Arya's friends, who seemed almost as distraught as him, but who could be? 

He wanted his wife back. He'd been using work to distract himself, taking as many hours at the Mechanic shop as possible, but it didn't stop him beating certain scrap cars in the junkyard and breaking down crying whenever he thought of Arya not waking up. He'd only gotten to marry her a few months earlier, and he wasn't ready to lose her so soon. 

He accepted Hot Pie's pat on the back, half hug, taking the soft toy that Waif had brought for Arya, along with her blanket that Weasel had brought, and left them in the hall, as he finally entered, releasing a shaky breath at the sight of Arya once more, sitting down next to her. She looked like shit, head bloody, with a scar across the side of her head, hear shaved from when they'd taken her to theatre, stitching it up. He knew that deep scars down littered her belly too, from shards of glass that had impaled themselves deep into her. His hand came to rest upon her cheek, feeling his eyes tearing up, but not letting them fall, as the sound of the heartbeat monitor continued, almost angering him, but placating him because it meant she was still alive at least. 

No thanks to him stupidly stopping on a snowed road, too eager to get his wife's hand in his pants to stop and think or look- too eagerly distracted by the idea of getting **INTO** his wife to stop and take notice of their surroundings. The idea of Stark-Waters babies had been in his head and.. God, he was so utterly stupid. He didn't even want to look at the tube in her mouth that kept her full of oxygen, settling for taking her ring from his pocket and slipping it on her finger. It wasn't much, but Arya had adored it none-the-less, and that had been worth it on its own. 

"I'm so sorry, Arry," He muttered, resting his head upon her for a moment, before pulling himself up and wiping at his face, running the hand down his tired self. He didn't stay long, he couldn't, not without crying, which he refused to do in this public place, so he kissed her forehead and bid her goodbye. 

* * *

 

Weasel tried her best to keep it like normal at home, acting as if Arya had gone to work, and she'd be home later. It helped them both, for a bit, but Weasel was a teenage girl, and emotional at the best of times these days, often needing Arya's soothing words at the end of the day before she went to bed, and Gendry didn't know what to say to her, let alone how. Arya had this way of words with Weasel as if telling her things that she needed, and Gendry was sure that's how they always came to her. Things she wished she'd been told at Weasel's age, and before. 

Many would think it was weird that Weasel lived with Arya and Gendry, and not her parents, but truth is, her parents had kicked her out years back, Arya had taken her in, and then when Arya moved into Gendry's... Weasel had just come with, her parents fucking off out of the country.  _Fuck them,_ he'd thought countless times, as he and Arya helped Weasel with her homework, or girl trouble (Gendry, had... had the most awkward conversation trying to talk to her about boys, only to realise she didn't even like them. Arya had won the bed. "My gaydar is impressive. I can spot other queer girls a mile away," It had been a game in their first two years, and Gendry would try to talk to a girl, and Arya, the bisexual little runt she was, would slide up and steal her away. He'd learned to start listening to her when she said a girl was gay, rather than trying his luck). 

Gendry and Weasel had fallen into a routine, and on this day, Gendry made breakfast, sitting outside to eat it, despite the rainwater that slid off the porch, looking outside, almost as if Arya would be home any minute. Sleepless nights plagued him, and he's sure they do Weasel too, the dark circles under both of there eyes. He'd heard her crying at night, for "Mum", and these days he still wasn't sure if that meant Arya, or her birth mother. 

He spotted the piece of shit cat, Balerion sitting near him, swishing his tail. It only stuck around because Arya had spent months feeding it, even if Gendry and the cat did not get along, claiming allergies. ("Allergies? You said you were allergic to Jaqen too." "Yeah I can't stand him, or his bullshit." "You're not allergic to either," She'd said in response, before feeding their piece of shit house crashers, Lommy and Hot Pie, Weasel running after the cat.). He remembered that conversation, that day, how he'd been smiling in the kitchen, his back to them all, as Lommy and Hot Pie made talk of how much they liked her, and how Gendry should just marry her already, so they could keep her. 

'I'm not your bloody pet,' She'd said in retaliation, even as she'd sat Weasel down for breakfast, and taken care of them all like the matriarch wolf of a pack. She'd likened herself to a wolf so often, it had become second nature to think of family as pack, and Arya as a wolf. That had been the morning he'd asked her to move in, perhaps why he remembered it so well above all other times. Not that he didn't have a short amount of fond memories of her, with her, in her. So many.. He released a sigh, returning to then, looking towards the cat that he had become allies within this time, letting the cat sit by him, the Bull and Cat sitting in comradery, waiting for Arya to come home. 

Their wedding had been just as casual, and he sat there with a smile remembering it. The only "witnesses" and guests had been Lommy, Hot Pie, Weasel, Gendry's neighbours Thoros and Beric, unti Arya's friends had showed up, Broscoe and his daughters Brea and Talea, whom Arya had stayed with once, Merry who was a sex worker not that Gendry was judging, Jaqen, the Waif, Umma, and a man she called only "The Kindly Man" who sat themselves in the back, even as Arya said her vows to never leave Gendry's side, to learn patience to deal with his stupidity- which had earned a laugh from the lot of them -  and to love him as fearlessly as he loved her. Their vows had been as unconventional as them, although Gendry had liked it that way. Nobody had thought they would work, outside of their friend group. But Thoros had sung at their wedding, a song of featherbeds, and forest loves, and Gendry couldn't quite remember the words, but he knew Arya had memorised it all. He remembers several other of Arya's friends showing up that night, that he could not remember the names of. He did remember their vows being written on cafe and restaurant menus, and he knew he kept them in the box, but still he could hear them in his mind. 

" _I told you I could be your family, but you said I would be your lady, and I guess in the end that you were right. Most days I see you as my home, and I think that's how I'd like it to stay._ " 

He found himself waving to Thoros as he collected his mail, and sighed at the sad look on his face, knew he'd go muttering to his husband about how the Forest Lass had not returned to her Forest Love, and whatever other anagrams the foreign man wanted to use that Gendry still didn't understand, but accepted none the less. 

_"I vow that I'll never abandon you, never forget that I don't deserve your love, and always be there for you in good and bad, ice and fire, in the night and in the day-_ "

_"I do."_

"... _oh! I do! Of course, I do, stupid."_  She'd been a bit slower on the uptake, just looking at him.

_"I pronounce you Forest Lass, and Forest Love, you may now lay her down on the featherbed- Sorry, Beric, stop.-" "Just kiss your fucking bride, before Thoros gets emotional again."_

Anguy and Harwin had laughed particularly hard at that. Gendry had just kissed his wife, holding her as if she were the most precious thing in the world, and he was afraid if he squeezed too hard, or let go she'd disappear. She teased him about that later, too. Until of course, security found them, and the entire party was running off the trespassed property, moving the party to Gendry and Arya's house, Weasel shrieking in joy on the way home. Yeah, entirely unconventional.. what could Gendry say, the deposit for a venue had been too expensive, and Arya had said that she was cool with an illegal, trespass wedding. 

" _I don't need the piece of paper to tell the world I love you, but... it's a day that we get to celebrate us with our friends, and I'm okay with that_."

He doesn't realise he's let a tear lose until Balerion jumps up and sits on the table, licking away at the remains of Gendry's cold breakfast. 

Even when she was frustrated out of her mind, finishing learning Braavosi, and Lysene, and Valyrian, he was there. When work stressed him out, she was there. It was give and pull, give and pull, and they worked together, and Gendry cherished it. Each coaxing the other to bed when the other was too stressed, Weasel strictly at Lommy and Hot Pie's during that honeymoon period- entirely of her own choice. " _Just do it like bunny rabbits for a few weeks, get it out of your system_." Nevermind they'd already been like an old married couple before. 

Gendry leaned forward, face in his hands again, not wanting a repeat of the other night when he'd trashed the workshop in his rage, Lommy sending him home before he could clean up. 

Was it really so wrong, how Arya and Gendry had clung to each other so quickly, and then, so very eager to let the world know. Arya was Gendry's, and Gendry was Arya's, and though they were fine if you wanted to live your life as polyamorous as you wanted, they loved each other, so intently, so truly in love with each other, that even when things were going wrong, they saw the good in each other. Except for that one Tuesday, Arya was pretty annoying that Tuesday. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirri Maz Duur is a doctor, and years ago she tried to help Daenerys deliver her son into the world and to save her husband, but it hadn't worked. She's not got a great track record tbh, but she's the best we've got. Westeros isn't good at churning out amazing doctors apparently lmao 
> 
> Guests at Arya and Gendry's wedding were:  
> \- Lommy  
> \- Hot Pie  
> \- Weasel  
> \- Thoros of Myr  
> \- Beric Dondarrian  
> \- The Waif  
> \- Jaqen H'gar  
> \- Umma from the House of Black and White  
> \- Broscoe  
> \- Brea  
> \- Talea  
> \- Merry, people Arya met as Cat of the Canals, though here met through school.  
> \- Bellegere Otherys  
> \- Daena  
> \- Bobono  
> \- Lady Stork/Lady Crane  
> \- Harwin  
> \- Anguy  
> \- 
> 
> Do with this information what you will.  
> Yes, they own Balerion.
> 
>  
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


	3. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya wakes up

Waiting was, rather hard for Gendry. Lommy and Hot Pie had taken Weasel out so she didn't worry, or get in the way, letting Arya wake up slowly without her de facto child clinging to her. Weasel had made it a point to visit Arya every day, read to her, even if Gendry couldn't stand to see her, he'd bring Weasel anyway, just so there wasn't silence as he had to stare at Arya, deathly pale, and not yapping for once- God, he missed her yapping. She did it whenever she got excited about something, talking and talking, and Gendry had long since started to sit there, chin hands and heart eyed whenever she did anything- and that included the annoying yapping. 

His hands sweating, Gendry was growing impatient. Not for Arya to wake up because she wasn't ready yet, obviously, if she hadn't woken up yet, but also for her to wake up because he needed her. He stayed near the edge of the bed, still not sure if he wanted to make like Weasel or Arya and run away, or stay put, there for her to see when she woke up. Doctor Maz Duur had asked him not to pace, so standing there, at the edge of Arya's bed, Gendry had no way to get his nervous energy out. If he could, he'd be at the workshop, fixing things, or breaking things, beating the wrench against the steel of a car door when the bolts won't co-operate. 

Arya's breathing changes, and the light in the hospital rooms, the stupid blue curtains, the blue blankets, and suddenly Gendry doesn't want to see any more blue, he wants to see _grey_. Her eyes seem to flutter beneath eyelids, as Doctor Maz Duur speaks to him, but he can barely think of her words, and only that Arya's eyes might open soon.

"She's gonna be groggy," The Doctor warns, as Arya makes a noise, a groggy little groan that she often makes when she wakes up that Gendry feels his heart constrict in his chest.  _I've missed that,_ he thinks, wanting to move closer, but still heeding the warning not to crowd Arya as she awakes. She makes several more of those noises, before her eyes open, a flash of grey, and Gendry let out a sigh of relief, smiling to himself, even as Arya does not look to him first, but her surroundings. She moves only her eyes, and even as she gets to him, she passes over him to complete her look around the room. 

He doesn't blame her, waking up in this strange place. 

"Hey," He says to her, but she doesn't yet respond, closing her eyes again and frowning, letting out a pained noise, hands digging into the bedsheets for a moment. "You don't know how good it is to see you," See your eyes open, but even Gendry couldn't yet say that, not wanting to overwhelm her, as she looked between him and Dr. Maz Duur now, blinking groggily. She doesn't yet move to speak, as if she's having trouble finding some words, or just, doesn't know what she wants to ask first, Gendry can see both options as her eyes land on him, then back to the doctor. 

She tried to speak then, and Gendry waited patiently, Dr Maz Duur too, as she tried to force out words that seemed slurred or half-formed, but it was clear she was asking "Where am I?" And that Northern accent had him smiling softly again. 

"Arya," Dr Maz Duur said, causing Arya's eyes to move back to her, "It's okay. You're in the hospital. You were in a car accident." She speaks in short simple sentences for the moment, and Gendry's biting his tongue so hard it hurts. "You hit your head pretty hard," Even as she speaks, Arya seems to take notice of herself finally, looking at her arms and hands, turning them over and clenching them as if they were foreign and unused before- and Gendry supposed the feeling of movement was a bit foreign right now. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, Arya swallowing thickly, before wincing again. "We just... kept you asleep for a little while," Arya starts to frown, and Gendry worries that she's going to panic before she relaxes her eyebrows, a flash of pain having gone through her eyes. 

"How you feeling?" He asked, then, speaking as he releases his own tongue, as Arya's eyes snapped to him, and there wasn't that look of joy to see him that he was hoping he'd see but understood that this was not about him. Arya was likely in pain.

"Head... hurts." She mustered out, confirming his suspicions, pulling her hand up to rest on her forehead, looking very much like she just wanted to go back to sleep. She released a sharp breath as if finding her rhythm to breathe again, holding to look to breath, before letting it out and breathing in again. He could almost see the constant reminder in her head to breathe, instead of letting the pain take it out of her. Gendry turned his head towards the Doctor then, hoping she'd be able to something about it. Gendry'd take the pain away if he could, but he was a mechanic, not a doctor. 

"That's normal," Dr Maz Duur said, not yet making a move towards Arya, allowing her the time to wake up and reacquaint herself with being awake, not wishing to rush her- Gendry'd already told her that would gain her Ire. Arya Stark did not wake up until she was ready, but... Gendry didn't know, something seemed off. "I'll get some painkillers," She says before turning and disappearing out the room. Gendry turned back to Arya then, smiling softly at his wife, but she did not return the smile, looking at him instead.

"Was anyone else... hurt, Doctor?" Gendry blinked several times, frowning heavily as he stared at Arya in confusion, glancing out the door to Dr Maz Duur, resting at the door with a concerned look on her face, having turned back at the question. 

"Arya..." Gendry started. "Uh," So caught off guard, as Dr Maz Duur moved back making notes as well as muttering to herself. Arya seemed almost impatient to receive her answer, and Gendry felt unable to give one. He wasn't the doctor, wasn't even a doctor, but the question was addressed to ... him. Arya knew he was a mechanic... His heart began to race in his chest, stomach churning like it had earlier that morning. "You... You know who I am.." He didn't quite phrase it as a question. It was a statement. He was her husband.. but she took it as a question, nodding her head, and Gendry almost relaxed. Almost. 

"You're my doctor." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world like she'd be adding a stupid on the end if she didn't think he was someone treating her, saving her life.  He felt Dr Maz Duurs eyes on him, as Gendry let out a shaky breath, feeling his heart and stomach plummet into his chest. He'd press her, ask what kind of game she was playing if she wasn't in such a delicate condition. She wouldn't... she wouldn't play that game, she wouldn't... his breathing sped up as he turned to look at Dr Maz Durr, his blue eyes wide, as he tried to speak to her, nothing coming out for a moment. He decided not to speak to her then, turning back to Arya. 

"Um... no. I'm your.. I'm your husband." He said it, as if it were obvious, but also oddly tentatively for him. As if she were some kind of medieval princess, and he was a bastard talking about cocks. Arya shook her head. 

"'m not married. Not yet." She opened her mouth again, before closing it again, eyes searching for someone again. Gendry was frowning all over again. She didn't remember him, but didn't think she was married yet? What the fuck did he say to that?? He felt something stir in him, thinking back to all those times Arya had dodged questions about her past and... She'd been engaged before? "My fiance won't be happy you're flirting with me, Doctor." 

He moved around the room, positioning himself to her right as he usually did, swallowing thickly, closing his eyes for a moment. "No... I. I am your husband, you don't have a fiancee anymore, because you married me." He moves to grab her hand, show her the ring, but she pulls it up quickly as if becoming aware of it for the first time, looks at her left hand, before playing with the ring. She mouths something to herself, frowning, eyes turning to storms, and he can see that confusion and disorientation. He can feel it through her, how lost she feels, opening and closing her mouth with no words. She doesn't even recognise the ring she wore, as if she knew a ring was supposed to be there, but.. not that one. She took in a deep breath, and slowly released it, looking around the room again. She didn't want to look at him, sorting through her thoughts, and the idea hurt more than it should. 

"Arry..." He made to reach for her again, but she pulled away, even moving in the bed.

"Don't call me that. You don't know me, I don't know you- you're NOT my husband, stop talking to me, stop LYING. If you knew me, you'd know that I **_HATE_** liars!" She's growing frustrating, and angry, and clenching his fists at her outburst, the fires in her eyes, Gendry turns on his heel and storms from the room. He can feel his tears pooling, the utter pain in his chest that makes it hard to breath, rubbing at the stubble on his chin. 

"Mr Waters!" Dr Maz Duur calls after him, and Gendry closes his eyes, willing tears away, before turning around to look down the corridor as she approaches. 

"You said things were good! Very good." He wants to blame her, even though he knew that's not how brains work, but it's the only thing keeping him from hating himself any more. He hates the way his voice is wobbling, giving away his feelings.

"Brain injury isn't like a broken bone or a cut with an infection," She says firmly, "Entirely two different things to heal. Brains aren't predictable, even to the best of us," He can't stop his hands going through his hair then. He's tense, and he's feeling it in all of his muscles. He wants to go home, back to bed, wake up from this nightmare with Arya's soft touches along his back, drawing patterns of whatever she was dreaming about the night before. Of all the things he'd been thinking of when she woke, this had not been one of them. He hates himself even more than he did when he first woke up in the hospital. "Sometimes when brains swell, they push against the skull, leaving some impairment-" 

He feels his eyes are starting to burn, and he takes his emotions out on the doctor. " _ **Some**_ impairment? My wife doesn't know who the fuck I am!" He snaps, pointing back down the hall to Arya's room, to.. Arya. The thought of her makes him shake nearly. 

"She's awake, and even then, that swelling can cause some confusion, memory loss, motor function decline- anything-" 

"Confusion... She thinks she's with someone else. Not only does Arya not know who I am, she thinks she's with someone else. That's not confusion that-" What was it is? Gendry didn't have a word for how upset he was, that he wanted to leave and cry, the pain in his chest too much as he rubs at it. 

"Please calm down. It's- it's normal!" He has no time for the conversation anymore, his head swimming, as he pushes passed her, needing air, because he can't breathe, he can't think. He can't think of what to do, what to make of anything as he pushes the doors open and makes his exit. He leaves the ward, trying to control his breathing, wiping stubbornly at his eyes. In the waiting room, he struggles with himself, wanting to be alone but unwilling to leave as he mutters to himself, pacing and trying to sort his frustration. He held his own hand tight, fingering his wedding ring, and feeling a breakdown coming, but he didn't care, as he leaned against the wall, now tugging at his hair. 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

He doesn't know when he fell asleep, just that he's awoken by a sharp, and swift punch to his shoulder, causing him to shift away. He groggily opens his eyes, letting out a groan, rubbing at his eyes, his other hand gripping into the blanket placed on him. His vision took a moment to settle as he blinked blearily, before taking in the sight of Arya, standing above him with a heavy frown, and he sat up quicker, hopeful, but the pang in his chest at the lack of recognition in her eyes had him deflating. 

"Hi," He said, hoping just...

"Sorry," She says, blue hospital gown coming to her knees. She looks less like shit than- however long ago since Gendry had fallen asleep, but she still seems to be uncomfortable, the way her eyes twitch across the room in ways that she has taught her body not to. She's a dancer, she's always in control of her body. "Tried to shake you, but... You must've been tired," She adds, as Gendry sits up, Arya sitting beside him on the hospital seats. His eyes kept drifting to her, as he rubbed the sleep from them. He made to speak, but Arya held up her hand to stop him. 

"Please don't talk. Not yet, I need.. I thought I was ready to start the conversation that Dr Maz Duur said I should, but I need a moment." She was biting her lip, deep frown on her face, and Gendry nodded, wanting to take his thumb and pull her lip from her teeth, but he didn't. He didn't know what to do then, other than heed her wishes and look down at her bare feet. His eyes just watched her for a moment, before she pivoted in her seat. 

"So I'm sorry I woke you," Arya settled for, after seeming to struggle to choose her words. 

"No- Don't worry," He's looking at her too much, eyes raking over her face, and Gendry wants to wake up from his own nightmare now. He looked outside briefly, noting the darkness of night, before he reached down, pulling up the bag he had brought from home, packed lovingly by Weasel, "I er, brought you some clothes." Handing the bag over, he felt his heart flutter at the sight of her wedding ring still upon her left finger. 

"Thank you," She said softly, taking the bag as if she didn't know what to do with it for a moment, but never missed an opportunity to say thank you."I thought I should ask you, instead of the doctor, what's your name?" He cannot stop his face screwing up for a moment, before he swallowed thickly. 

"Gendry. Gendry Waters," Arya's nodding her head, before extending her hand, 

"And I'm Arya....Waters?" She trails off, asking her question, but Gendry shakes his head quickly. 

"No, you kept your last name," He replied, but took her hand none the less and shook it. It still felt tiny in his big hands after all these years, and much as he wanted to keep a hold of it, he let it go. Arya nodded her head, seemingly pleased. 

"That's good. Not that, I would feel bad taking your name, I assume, I wouldn't be embarrassed but-" 

"You tried to go without it for so long, that you needed it." He finishes for her, taking note of the somewhat startled look she gives him. "Sorry. 'Sppose it's weird, me knowing that, but you not remember telling me." Arya teetered her head to either side before nodding in agreement. 

"A little," She admits, before looking around again, holding the bag to her lap, "How long have we known each other?" It sounds like a question that's been on her mind for a while, and she's biting her lip again. 

"Five years," He answers with a breath, "Almost six, I'd say. We celebrated your 24th birthday recently," He doesn't like the lost look on her face, the confusion, the pain, and he wishes he hadn't opened his stupid mouth. He tried to open it again to correct himself, but Arya was speaking again. 

"24... The last birthday I remember is... probably my 18th." She's got unshed tears causing her eyes to sparkle at him, but Gendry frowns further. She'd already been 19 when he met her. 

"I'm so sor-" 

"I'm kinda hungry," Arya cuts him off, shifting slightly at the sound of his apologies, uncharacteristically wringing her hands together. She stands, pulling the overnight bag strap over her shoulder, letting the bag itself rest against her thigh, gesturing for Gendry to follow her... before stopping and letting Gendry correct her path. 

"I just, I cant deal with the sympathy, and the judging right now, I just need to know what in my life has gone missing from my life," She's very firm in this, stormy grey eyes turning to Gendry as she holds a tray for him, before moving along and filling her own up. 

"I'm not one for that shit either. I'll fill you in the best I can." Gendry said, a bit slower in putting some food on the tray she'd given him, the well-lit lunch room suddenly taking away any sort of hunger he had felt. Or maybe it was her words. 

Arya sat down at a table, and cleared the opposite side for Gendry to sit, and he found himself glad that she actually wanted something to do with him. 

"Alright, so, it's been five years, my hair is shorter.." She started off, clearly trying to decide what to do. 

"Yeah, you said it was getting in the way, so you chopped it off." She looked at him merely a moment, nodding her head. 

"Sounds like me. Sansa wanted long hair, and I, didn't like brushing my own." Gendry chuckled a bit, nodding his head. He didn't know her to enjoy the act, and rarely did it, but he admired how she'd put aside her own laziness and disdain to sit down and do her best to brush out Weasel's tight curls.  _"Man, I wish I was friends enough with Bellegere Otherys to ask her how to do this, I don't want to ruin Weasel's hair."_ She had complained one night, but had stuck it out where she had refused with her own brown hair, that she left curling around the nape of her neck. Weasel had, unfortunately, inherited Arya's lack of hair brushing. 

"How did we meet?" Arya decided to ask then, starting to eat some of the cold pasta that she had piled onto her plate. 

"Well, my friends Lommy and Hotpie had decided that the weather was perfect for harassing ballerinas, and I had to pull their heads out of their arses after you pushed Lommy over," Gendry replied, fork pushing around food on his own tray, as Arya shovelled her own in, nodding her head. "You were a bit annoyed at me, but I made it up to you by taking you to a cafe, and well, you became friends with us all after that." She nodded her head but didn't seem particularly interested, and Gendry hoped that was just down to her processing it all still. 

"I take it, I was a ballerina they harrassed? Did I get my economics degree?" 

Gendry let out a noise, before shrugging, "Just...missed out on it, I think," No, she hadn't even been studying for it when they'd met. 

"Did we move to London?" Her mind seems to have settled on the question, and she raises her eyebrows at him. 

"No- we were already here when we met. You were studying ballet here, or something- there was a lot of tutus and pirouettes." Gendry didn't like the way she frowned at that, turning her head as if questioning him. 

"So I was already here.. Here I was hoping you'd hold the key to why I'm here and not up North," Her voice almost hitches, and Gendry isn't sure what to say, so he says what comes to mind. 

"I don't know. You didn't really talk about your family much. Just your favourites, your brother Jon, you mentioned Robb a few times, you didn't really want to talk about them. I accepted it, assumed something had happened," He shrugs then, watching Arya closely as she frowns, muttering something to herself along the lines of 'Family, duty, honour,' 'Lone wolf dies, but the pack survives'. He'd heard her mutter similar things before in her sleep, amongst her growling and kicking, and just like then he said nothing of it. Her reaction though, had him worried. How much had she kept hidden from him? The idea of things she kept hidden not being very important reasons started to eat at and hurt him. He wondered what secrets she hadn't told, had kept from him?

"So, you mentioned a fiance," Gendry stopped suddenly not sure how to finish his sentence, but Arya huffed a little laugh and nodded her head. 

"I imagine he's an ex-Fiance now, but yes, I have- had one before you, at least. Edric Dayne, my dad's ex's nephew." She was laughing at whatever face he pulled. "No, no, Gendry, no relation. Dad and Ashara still spoke, so Ned and I, we, we spent a lot of time together. I don't think I'd call him my first love, but," She shrugged then, smile dropping momentarily, "Didn't work out, obviously," She seems so nonchalant about it, and Gendry almost huffs, watching her eat more, and him pushing his fork away. 

"You never mentioned him to me." He realises how he sounds, grumpy and put out and Arya pauses, gaping for a moment like a fish as she decided what to say. 

"I must not of thought it important," She says, but Arya is frowning, her nose wiggling, trying to search memories that she has, "I can't remember breaking up with him, so I can't " She makes a vague frustrated noise as she gestures with her hand. "I'd tell you, but I can't remember. I don't even remember leaving the North. God, Jon is going to have my head for missing his engagement party, wedding I'm sure too," She's rambling before she stops, shutting herself, up with her cheeks flaring. "Sorry, I ramble, but you know that, clearly." He can't tell if she's comfortable or not, and he hates it, even as Arya leans down and opens up the bag of clothes, letting out a positive noise as she sees the pants, grinning widely, before she lets out an interested sound, pulling out a card shaped piece of paper... oh no, Weasel no...

"I don't think you should look at that," He says quickly, reaching for it across the table, but Arya is quick, pulling it away, and staring at him. 

"Excuse you, Mr Macho Man, it says 'Dear, Arya,' I think it's for me." She snarks, looking at him defiantly, before opening the homemade card, soft smile on her face, before it settles into a frown. "'Mum'..." She mutters, before tracing the word and Gendry runs a hand down his face. "We have children?" She asks, looking up, at him in a way that reminds him of the stupid cat from Shrek, and Gendry clears his throat. 

"Yes, and no," He rubs the back of his neck. She doesn't seem satisfied with his answer, before turning the page in what turned out to be a homemade book card, a picture flying out. Arya caught it, and Gendry didn't need to look to know it was the one of Weasel's most recent birthday, taken by Tom, and it features her grinning widely with her arms around Arya and Gendry both. 

"No way in hell I birthed a 16 year old girl in five years." She quirks her eyebrow, and God, Gendry had wanted to wait for this particular conversation, before she learnt about Weasel, but apparently, Weasel had other plans, the sneaky girl. 

"You adopted her all on her own. Parents kicked her out, and you took her in. All on you, we haven't really discussed kids outside of her yet." He holds his hands up in surrender, before reaching for the photo, but Arya jerks back again and Gendry decides it's not worth it to try. 

"Fuck off, this is mine, she made it for me." And if she stares at it in awe for a bit, as well as the card, and whatever it says within, that's entirely Arya's business. Gendry's content after that, to let it be. He could see in her eyes, the brewing questions, her feelings, but he wouldn't push her. It was just lucky he had gotten this far with her tonight.

"Alright, keep your card." He wouldn't dream of taking it off her anyway, not when he knew how much effort Weasel put into her art. Not when he knew how much it meant Arya get her card if Weasel had gone through so much effort to give it to her.. she hadn't known that Arya didn't remember when she'd made it. That had been why Gendry had told her to leave it for now, but apparently, she had decided otherwise. Stubborn as her parents, Weasel was, as Tom Sevenstrings was always saying. He pushed his black hair out of his eyes, just watching as the soft smile appeared on Arya's face, just reading over Weasel's words. Perhaps there was a chance...  


End file.
